We associate the concept of love with witnessing lovers holding hands in a picturesque park, the gentle whispers of sweet nothings filling your ears, the delicate scent of roses lingering in the air, the taste of rich, decadent chocolates on your tongue, and the fluttering sensation of butterflies dancing in your stomach. Love’s indescribable nature encompasses these sensory experiences.

In our Western culture, this obsession with love, especially romantic love, is clear in the movies we watch, the books we read, the songs we listen to, and the tabloids that fill our social media feeds. Images and stories of love found, love lost, love won, love renewed, and love unreturned constantly drown us. Love is a feeling so powerful that it can make you feel willing to sacrifice everything for it.

The Bible contains profound teachings on love, which paint vivid pictures of its various forms. The Bible describes a love that inspires awe and reverence in the heart – a love for God that goes beyond human understanding. Like a symphony of harmonious voices coming together, it speaks of a love for our neighbours, inspiring acts of kindness and compassion. It speaks of a love for the stranger and the dispossessed, a love for oneself, that nurtures the soul like a warm embrace. And, of course, it speaks of romantic love, igniting the senses like a gentle caress. As different as these loves may be, they are all called by the same name, alerting us to the fact that love is multifaceted and complex, not just the stuff of fairy tales or happy endings of Hollywood.

The Hebrew word for love, ahavah, originates from the fundamental term hav, denoting the act of giving. This etymological understanding reveals that, within Biblical understanding, love is deeply connected to giving. It teaches us that the essence of love lies in selflessly offering oneself to others. This insight not only emphasises the importance of giving in the function of love but also highlights how love operates as a catalyst for selfless acts and genuine connection.

Love is not all about you, the lover, but about the other, the beloved. Love calls us out of the confines of ourselves and into the wilderness of relationship. It is a transformative experience that dethrones the ego and puts it to work in the fulfilment of the needs and desires of another.

In this context, we can easily see why our Creator’s character is characterised by LOVE. God is love. Look at His character as described in the Word. He shows us favour. He has compassion for us. His display of grace towards us prevents us from being consumed. HIS COMPASSION NEVER ENDS!

He truly is LOVE! What a challenge to be an image bearer of Him. Let us never seize to bear the fruits of His character, the fruit of His Spirit.

Let us grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Lets our focus be short and inwards when looking for flaws that still need correction, not on outward criticism. But let our focus be long sighted when it comes to LOVE. Giving love rather than just receiving.

When seeking flaws that require correction, let us focus inwardly, rather than criticising others. However, when it comes to love, let us have an outward perspective. Let us give love instead of just receiving it.

All to the glory of our Loving Creator!